POST #2 – This post is the second in the series Sydney to Melbourne in a Spaceship recounting our one-week adventure with a Spaceships Australia van named Arthur Dent.
Missed the first one? FIND IT HERE
The highway reopens
A portion of the Princes Highway had been closed for days due to the Currawong fire. It reopened just as we were about to take a lengthy detour. Obviously, this was good news for us, but I’d like to think that we are conscientious people.
As tourists here, we had the option of taking detours or just leaving the country if we felt unsafe. The people who lived and worked in these areas did not have those same luxuries.
We were happy that our travel plans were still on track but also determined that we would in no way be a hindrance to the fire fighting efforts. We drove through this fire-stricken area without stopping. It was a silent, contemplative drive.
Very heavy smoke gave way to blackened earth and trees. Some of the street signs had melted under the intense heat and parts of the forest were still smouldering.
Amazingly, after driving half an hour more, the sky cleared and the only visible sign of active fires was a slight haze.
The Sapphire Coast
We stopped in Narooma for some maps and information to help decide what to see and where to stay for the next two nights. I hadn’t really researched this portion of the drive because the two main attractions for us were Booderee National Park and Wilson’s Promontory National Park.
Again I wished that we’d allowed more time for our van trip. The Sapphire Coast is about halfway between Sydney and Melbourne. It stretches from Bermagui in the north to the Victoria border in the south and it is full of beautiful beaches, great walks and quaint little towns.
While in Narooma, we stopped to see the ‘Australia Rock’. This picture isn’t the best to show it, but the hole in the rock has roughly the same shape as the country.
Then it was on to explore some of the spectacular scenery along this coast.
Of course, we met new friends wherever we went. I think this curious wallaby was looking for snacks though none were given. We also saw pelicans and magpies.
I believe the last one is a juvenile white faced heron, but I might be wrong. It watched over our campsite in Kalaru as we settled in for the night.
The Pinnacles - Ben Boyd National Park
The next day dawned with sunshine and noisy birds flittering about so we hit the road for our final stretch of the Sapphire Coast. We stopped to do the 1.1km Pinnacles Loop walk at Ben Boyd National Park. This area of the park is free to access since park entry fees only apply south of Eden. It is pretty spectacular!
These eroding cliffs are a combination of white sand topped with a layer of red gravel clay. They were created during the Tertiary geological period and are up to 65-million years old!
The beaches weren’t too shabby either.
Our lunch stop in Eden was timed perfectly to watch a pod of dolphins that had come in close to shore to catch some waves.
Welcome to Victoria
We left the Sapphire Coast and New South Wales behind and entered the state of Victoria as we made our way closer to Wilson’s Promontory National Park. We still had one more night and about 475kms to explore.
Deciding it was time to stretch our legs, we stopped at the Drummer Rainforest Walk just off the highway. A remnant of warm temperate rainforest, we marvelled at how different it was from the surrounding forests.
We chose to spend the night in Lake Tyers Beach instead of Lakes Entrance thinking it might be a bit quieter. It was the right decision since the scenery around here was amazing, especially at sunset.
It always amazes me how one sunset can provide so many different colours. There just happened to be a full moon on this night as well.
As much as I would have liked to stay just a little while longer, we had reservations for the next two nights at Wilson’s Promontory National Park. The high likelihood that we would see a wombat there was a pretty compelling reason to point our spaceship, Arthur Dent, in that direction and carry on.
REMINDER – This post is the second in the series Sydney to Melbourne in a Spaceship recounting our one-week adventure with a Spaceships Australia van named Arthur Dent.
Missed the first one? FIND IT HERE
Ready for the next one? FIND IT HERE
please bring me a wallaby!
Just wait until you see the wombat
As ever, great photos and commentary!! Stunning scenes and scenery. Thank you for an exquisite “trip” – looking forward to more! Heather & Chris
Thank you. I’m happy to provide a vicarious experience, especially in these difficult times.